ATLANTA – The Virginia Cavaliers’ hopes of division and conference championships could be dashed before they take the field today, but they won’t have time to fret if that’s the case.
Georgia Tech’s offense demands the full attention of any defense facing it.
The Yellow Jackets have averaged 362.3 rushing yards per game this season to lead the nation, with coach Paul Johnson’s triple-option-heavy flexbone offense more focused on the ground than ever. Tech has all but dropped the forward pass from its repertoire, putting the ball in the air just seven times in its past three games.
“It’s unique,” Virginia linebacker Jordan Mack said. “You’ve got to abandon everything you know, essentially, and just focus in on the offense.”
The Cavaliers (7-3, 4-2 Atlantic Coast Conference) can’t fare much worse than the last time they faced an option-based offense. In the 2017 Military Bowl, Virginia scored an early touchdown, then watched Navy run up and down the field the rest of the game, piling up 452 yards rushing in a 49-7 blowout.
The Midshipmen failed to complete their lone pass – not that it mattered.
“It’s not scary,” Mack insisted. “It’s another opportunity to get better. A lot of guys are eager and willing and want to improve and show that we can defend the triple-option.”
Virginia must win this game to have any shot at winning the ACC’s Coastal Division, and even then they’ll need some help. Pittsburgh (6-4, 5-1), which plays today at Wake Forest (5-5, 2-4) and should be finishing up about the time the Cavaliers kick off at 3:30 p.m., merely needs to win one of its last two games to clinch a spot in the ACC title game against No. 2 Clemson (10-0, 7-0).
Tech’s titles hopes faded in the first month of the season, but after a 1-3 start, the Jackets (6-4, 4-3) have ripped off a three-game winning streak and locked up a bowl berth.
“You can’t quit after three games,” Johnson said. “This league is so balanced. Other than Clemson, everybody is pretty similar.”
While Virginia still has hopes of playing for the ACC title, this is also a chance to gain a better position in the league’s postseason hierarchy. The winner almost surely will land a more prestigious bowl assignment, no matter what happens in the final week of the regular season.
“We got to a bowl game, but now we have to make it better,” said Tech receiver Brad Stewart, whose team visits rival Georgia next week with the Bulldogs locked into the Southeastern Conference title game and hoping for a second straight appearance in the College Football Playoff.
Tech senior quarterback TaQuon Marshall, who seemed on the verge of losing his starting job to redshirt freshman Tobias Oliver, re-established himself as the clear choice in last week’s victory over Miami. Marshall played nearly the entire game, rushing for 91 yards and two touchdowns to go along with a scoring pass in the 27-21 triumph.
Oliver had gotten the bulk of the playing time the previous two games – when Marshall nursed an upper-body injury – running for 215 yards in an upset at Virginia Tech and 120 yards in a win over North Carolina. The youngster leads the Jackets in rushing with 781 yards and 12 touchdowns.
Junior college transfer Bryce Perkins has given the Cavaliers’ offense a dual threat at quarterback. He has rushed for more than 100 yards in three games, and he has thrown for just less than 2,000 yards with 18 touchdowns.
“He’s a dynamic quarterback, as good as anybody in our league,” Johnson said. “I think the quarterback kind of transformed their football team.”
The Jackets’ defense must do a better job getting off the field. Opposing offenses have picked up a first down on 51 of 106 of their third-down opportunities this season, a figure Johnson said is unacceptable.
“We’re been pretty good at not giving up big plays and getting turnovers,” he said, “but third down is horrendous.”